The fans have spoken

[Dooley]

We're a basketball school with a football program that had a run of nice years back when the current crop of students hadn't even applied to UConn yet.
We have a stadium that's way off campus in the middle of nowhere.
We've had what, 5 straight losing seasons?
We're 4-5 this year and while that's a huge improvement, we're not some juggernaut team that's headed to a great bowl game.
A ton of people don't really care if we get into a better conference, and even if a lot do, many don't realize that their attendance even matters.

This program is going to need like, 3 straight years of winning records for the fans to start showing up for more than the tailgate and 2 quarters of football. Worrying about attendance on a game to game basis is pointless, unless you enjoy being disappointed.

Agreed that we are a basketball school. There's nothing wrong with that either - there is room for basketball schools inside the P5. We're not just a basketball school, we're an ELITE basketball school. Definitely room for us in the P5.

However, we're not in the P5 yet. And if it takes 3 seasons for our fans to circle the wagons and get back to the Rent, then we might as well take down the CR board and embrace the AAC as our permanent home for hoops and football. I'm nowhere ready to do that yet.

 

[Ha Who]

We're a basketball school with a football program that had a run of nice years back when the current crop of students hadn't even applied to UConn yet.
We have a stadium that's way off campus in the middle of nowhere.
We've had what, 5 straight losing seasons?
We're 4-5 this year and while that's a huge improvement, we're not some juggernaut team that's headed to a great bowl game.
A ton of people don't really care if we get into a better conference, and even if a lot do, many don't realize that their attendance even matters.

This program is going to need like, 3 straight years of winning records for the fans to start showing up for more than the tailgate and 2 quarters of football. Worrying about attendance on a game to game basis is pointless, unless you enjoy being disappointed.

Than knock the rent down, put a casino there. Disband football and move hoops to the Yankee Conference. The slippery slope down that path has begun, good hoops recruiting not withstanding. It is not sustainable.

 

[BoatShow]

5-5 playing a highly ranked team in the last home game? 35k I hope. Considering the last 2 home finales have been in the 19k range

 

[raf46]

We're a basketball school with a football program that had a run of nice years back when the current crop of students hadn't even applied to UConn yet.
We have a stadium that's way off campus in the middle of nowhere.
We've had what, 5 straight losing seasons?
We're 4-5 this year and while that's a huge improvement, we're not some juggernaut team that's headed to a great bowl game.
A ton of people don't really care if we get into a better conference, and even if a lot do, many don't realize that their attendance even matters.

This program is going to need like, 3 straight years of winning records for the fans to start showing up for more than the tailgate and 2 quarters of football. Worrying about attendance on a game to game basis is pointless, unless you enjoy being disappointed.

this season sells next years tickets. The fan base is 25k. The target market is the 17k staying home. That will happen with winning.

 

[tense50]

What a great win the team came up with Friday night against a good East Carolina team. Offense, defense, special teams all played the way we all hoped they would this season. It made the loyal fans that showed up for the game feel the light at the end of the tunnel may not be as far away as it seemed to be. But, while seating in my seat in section 226 and looking across the field at all of the empty seats throughout the Rent, it made me feel bad that such a great effort by the team was wasted on a half empty stadium. If the fans can't be bothered to show up for a conference game, then any hope of UConn ever moving on to a P5 membership is just a pipedream. Talent alone can't bring on success to this team. They need the same kind of fan support that the men and women basketball teams have. Fan support (the sixth man) is crucial to the team rising to meet the challenges that face them in the future. I really don't mean to lecture, and I realize that most of the BY'ers are not the fans disguised as empty seats. But, it is very frustrating to show up to home games and see such fan apathy on display. One more chance to get it right when U of Houston comes to town Nov. 21st. Come to the game and be a part of the "rise up" that the Huskies will experience when they beat the Cougars.

 

[NYUConn]

The crowd for Houston is 100% dependent on weather.

Which ironic because I think are chances against Houston are 100% Dependent on weather.

 

[J187Money]

If Michigan came in next week we would put 50k in the stands. Everyone knows that. Including the B1G. It isn't really the concern that everyone thinks it is. We could put 75K/game in and if it wasn't financially viable we would be left out.

 

[whaler11]

If Michigan came in next week we would put 50k in the stands. Everyone knows that. Including the B1G. It isn't really the concern that everyone thinks it is. We could put 75K/game in and if it wasn't financially viable we would be left out.

Plenty of empty seats in the corner today in Iowa.

 

[HuskiesFan1014]

One of our tailgate guys put up a video of us cheering the team during the fight song after the game. He got beat up on social media by friends who are FSU fans, showing photos of their packed stadium after a loss.

His reply: "It was Halloween and half the fans dressed up as an empty stadium, which was no easy task."

Love that guy.

 

[freescooter]

Here's the problem with hoping for a big crowd for Houston. See amory's post. And who else plays that day? People have other lives too so even if they are afternoon and evening it hurts both crowds but it hurts football more.

 

[Carduccib]

Do people ever get tired of ignoring reality? Of pretending this is only a UConn problem?

Here's BC's student section today.

The game was on a Friday night before Halloween for a 3-5 team coming off 4 losing seasons. Spoiler alert. The crowd was gonna be bad. If they beat Tulane I expect the Houston game to be between 30-35 k.

Why do we have to condescend ourselves to the level of Boston College. Show New England we are superior

 

[slepers]

We're a basketball school with a football program that had a run of nice years back when the current crop of students hadn't even applied to UConn yet.
We have a stadium that's way off campus in the middle of nowhere.
We've had what, 5 straight losing seasons?
We're 4-5 this year and while that's a huge improvement, we're not some juggernaut team that's headed to a great bowl game.
A ton of people don't really care if we get into a better conference, and even if a lot do, many don't realize that their attendance even matters.

This program is going to need like, 3 straight years of winning records for the fans to start showing up for more than the tailgate and 2 quarters of football. Worrying about attendance on a game to game basis is pointless, unless you enjoy being disappointed.

The invite to a P% is going to come if we bring more money to them. It seems to me that it is TV sets for the Big
Ten network/

 

[HuskiesFan1014]

The invite to a P% is going to come if we bring more money to them. It seems to me that it is TV sets for the Big
Ten network/

Chap?

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Important game for the program and I enjoyed myself drinking beers and swapping stories from high school with an old friend. That, no one cares about ECU and they are not a marquee football name and I mean no disrespect to the ECU fans. Very few people within 100 miles of Hartford have gone to ECU or know someone who went to ECU. Thus, its hard to build interest and showing especially a night game before Halloween.

PS - Rec sports in Jersey are a joke this week also. With schools closed Tuesday for elections and Thursday and Friday for the annual joke that is the state teacher's conference in Atlantic City, everyone goes on vacation. I had 6 kids out of 14 at soccer Saturday afternoon.

 

[UConnFranklin]

We're a basketball school with a football program that had a run of nice years back when the current crop of students hadn't even applied to UConn yet.
We have a stadium that's way off campus in the middle of nowhere.
We've had what, 5 straight losing seasons?
We're 4-5 this year and while that's a huge improvement, we're not some juggernaut team that's headed to a great bowl game.
A ton of people don't really care if we get into a better conference, and even if a lot do, many don't realize that their attendance even matters.

This program is going to need like, 3 straight years of winning records for the fans to start showing up for more than the tailgate and 2 quarters of football. Worrying about attendance on a game to game basis is pointless, unless you enjoy being disappointed.

I disagree. We are not just a basketball school. We are a school of CHAMPIONS! While our basketball program has been very successful and is considered ELITE it was not always that way. In the 70's, and 80's we were at the bottom. We decided to focus upon basketball and and we grew it over many years to what it is today. Many on this board are way to young to know of this. They have seen nothing but winning. Even with the elite status of basketball only slightly over 7,000 showed up at Gampel today for the first (albeit exhibition) game of a season for which there are high hopes. Are you kidding me only 7,000!!! Come on fans support your teams at UConn. UConn used to be known for its rabid fan following. I don't see it anymore except for certain games. We've become spoiled by winning.

What I have seen is that we have developed elite programs at whatever we've focus upon. Don't only look at basketball but look at men's soccer, women's soccer, field hockey, baseball, men's and women's basketball, the development of our hockey program, our golf team and track and field teams are outstanding. Not only that but we are excelling in academics and research! The UConn brand is building. It takes time to build an elite level program. There will be setbacks along the way. But we are constantly moving forward. I have every confidence in AD Warde Manual and Pres. Susan Herbst. Their vision is clear and directed. I have no doubt that in a few years UConn will also be known as having an outstanding football program. I have no patience for the fans that doubt our resolve. Either join in or get out of the way!!!

 

[SubbaBub]

I get the urge to throat punch anyone who insists we are a basketball school. We are a winners school. If either BB team fell off for more than a year or two, their would be the same problem with attendance.

People around here are too busy to spend time on a poor product. We don't have Saturday football and 6 days of waiting for Saturday football. Nor do we have six generations of family that spend most of their disposable income to smoke meats and drink beer prior to watching Saturday Football because Sundays were for church. None of that means we are a BB school.

We sold out for winners and about 15k of us found our way to Tempe and Glendale. Most of us hung on through PP year 1 - The year of the Walk On QB and the Vanderbilt Aneurysm), PP2 - Did we just lose to Western Michigan?, PP3 - He has to be fired this year, right? And, Michigan is coming to the Rent.

Not to mention Mr. Diaco's 2 wins for helping us get better and boy that Stony Brook is pesky.

We all make fun of Temple, BC, Rutgers, and Cuse for their horrible FB programs, we'll that last stretch was worthy of that company and we still out perform them in almost every metric of support.

Football is what will allow BB to continue past the next decade. If you don't believe me, how much so you fear Nova, GTown, and StJ as contemporary programs? That's the best a non FB school can do.